Feeding and severing apparatus.



J. & J. E. SCHUMACHER.

FEEDING AND SEVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 29, me.

1 1 97 553. Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

JOHN SCHUMACHER AND JOSEPH E. SCHUMACHEB, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FEEDING AND SEVERING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 29, 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, JOHN SCHUMACIIER and Josnrn E. SCHUMACHER, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have jointly invented new anduseful Improvements in Feeding and Severing Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to feeding and severing apparatus, or apparatusin which a product is formed or treated upon the continuous supply ofthe component parts or substances thereof, or of materials or sub-'stances for treating other materials or substances likewise supplied orfed and severed.

More particularly the apparatus is adapted for the manufacture ofplasterboard and similar substances, for which purpose one or moresheets of paper or the like is or are fed continuiiiisly from a roll orrolls of the same, a plastic or like material being deposited upon orbetween such sheets, the resultant product in finished or partlyfinished form and condition being subdivided into predetermined lengthsor into units of predetermined size and shape.

A particular feature of the present invention consists of means for sosubdividing the product as it is continuously formed, or treated andadvanced, whereby such product may be so subdivided in the advance ormovement thereof, and without interference with the means for causingsuch advance or necessitating cessation of the movement thereof.Apparatus of this general character is disclosed in another applicationfor United States Letters Patent filed by us jointly April 23rd, 1915,Serial No. 23,521, for apparatus for making plaster board. and the like,and similar apparatus is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.1,176,- 322, issued jointly to us March 21st, 1916, for process ofmaking plaster board and the like.

The invention has for particular objects the provision of apparatusor'mechanism generally organized and characterized as above set forth,and which will be superior in point of relative simplicity and relativeinexpensivcness of construction and formation, convenience andpositiveness and efficiency in service and durability. and which will begenerally superior in efficiency and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 94,468.

adaptability 'for varying kinds and conditions of service.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel and useful provision, formation, construction, combination,association and relative arrangement and mode of application of parts,members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawingand finally pointed out in claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is an isometric view, broken away for fullnessof illustration, of mechanism or apparatus organized in accordance withand for the practice of the invention, and specifically devised for thepurpose of building up or forming a product comprising strips or sheetsof paper or other flexible material and an interposed body of plastic orother material, in accordance with the general constitution ofplasterboard as made by the apparatus and following the process of ourother said application and our said issued Letters Patent; and, Fig. 2is an isometric view of a cutter shown in operative position in Fig. 1,the same being shown in Fig. 2 in detached position, and constituting animportant feature of the improvements constituting the presentinvention.

Corresponding parts in both figures are designated by the same referencecharacters.

Referring with particularity to the drawtable B in Fig. 1, are thereinindicated as in process of formation, the upper surface member 3 of eachunit A being produced from a continuously fed sheet of paper 6 suppliedfrom a roller 7, the lower surface member l of each such unit A beingshown as produced from a continuouslyfed sheet 8 of paper fed from aroller 9, and the body portion of each such unit A being shown asproduced from suitable plastic material 10 fed downwardly upon thecontinuously fed sheet 8 from a hopper 11. The sheet 8 is shown asfedfrom the roller 9 ontoan endless belt conveyer 12 operated by andtrained about horizontal spaced rollers 13 journaled at their ends as at14 in a suitable horizontal frame 15. The'roller 7 is supported abovethe endless belt conveyer 12 by an upright frame member 16 which.likewise is branched out to support the hopper 11, and furthermoresupports a loosely journaled 'compression roller 17 which bearsdownwardly upon the paper sheet 6 drawn from the roller 7 to compressbetween such sheet 6 and the lower sheet 8 the plastic material 10whichp is sandwiched between such sheets, as clearly shown in Fig. 1..The frame member 16 likewise carries suitable side-boards or retainingwalls 18 rising above the upper course of the belt conveyer 12 andconfining the zone withinwhich the plastic material 10 is fed to thelower paper sheet 8iand between the said sheet and the sheet 6, so as toprevent escape of the plastic material from such sheets, and to retainit effectively for disposition between such sheets.

C designates a cutter shown in working position in F ig, 1- andindetached-position in Fig. 2, such cutter being used for successivelysevering the plaster-board ,units A from the stock-consisting of theadvancing upper 'andlower sheets 6 and"8 and the interposedplasticmaterial. .Sucn cutter is utilized during the movementof suchstock which is designated D, and is applied to the conveyer 12 and theupper course thereof during the movement thereof, being passed betweensuch upper course of the ponYeyer and the stock D, the severing actiontaking place while the.stock. and conveyerrare'moving in the directionof the arrow in F ig.'" 1.:

In order to obtain .units A which, with the standard width predeterminedin accordance with the width of the sheets 6 and 8, which havepredetermined lengths, asuitable measuring stick or rule 0 is utilized,the same being placed upon the advancing stock D with one end even withthe advancing end of the stock. This rule'being of the proper lengthrequired for each unit,'or' for the next unit A, the cutter C- isslipped'between the upper course of the conveyer and the stock D at theother end of the ruler or measuring stick, and is operated to sever theunit beneath themeasuring stick from the stock during the movement ofthe stock upon the conveyer. Thus, there is no halt in the procedure offorming and feeding the stock incident to subdividing it, the severedunit beinglifted by the operator or operators and placed upon the stackupon the table B, the ruler having first been lifted and thrown backonto the advancing end of the stock'next adjacent to the severed unit,for the purpose of measuring off the next succeeding unit to be severed.7

The cutter C comprises an elongated frame or body 19 provided atone ehdwith a hand-grasp or handle 20, and at the other end with a nose orpoint 21 slightly back of the terminal portion of which, as at 22, isattached one end ofa cutting wire,'cord or the like 23, of substantiallythe same length as the body 19, and the other or free end of which isprovided with a handle or hand-grasp 24 adapted to lie flat upon thehandle 20, with the cutting wire or cord 23 substantially flat-upon thebody portion 19, with the parts in the last mentioned positions orrelations," the handles 20 and 24 may be grasped in one or both handsand the'nose 21 passed beneath the stock D and above the upper course ofthe conveyer 12 at the followingor rearward end of the 'roller or gagestick 0, the nose 21 readily mak ng a passage for itself beneath thestock and traversing the smooth belt conveyer. l/Vhen such traverse hasbeen completed, so that the cutter lies entirely transverse of andbeneath the stock, the handle 20 is grasped by'the operator in one hand,and the handle 24 in the other hand, such latter handle being raised andthe cutter wire 23 meanwhile put under strain or pulled upon, whereupon,as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, the cutter wire is caused to out andsever the stock D transversely at the jfollowing end of. the gagesticlrc to sever a unit-A beneath suc'hggage stick from age, remainderof the stock. This; operati'on is performed While thestoclcis.inovingupbn the conveyer, .tlie ooerator movlng. aloil'g besidethe conveyer and ad ancing stock. When the severance is completedthe-measuring gage 0 is, as stated, pliaced backiupon. the advancingfreshhend of thstbk, the severed unit is deposited upon thertable B, andthe operator then proceeds to sever the next succeeding unit A from thestock in the same mannergand so on indefinitely.

The use of the cutter disclosed, in the manner set forth, namely, duringthe advance of the stock, obviates any necessity of halting suchadvaiiceto produce the severance ofeach unl as would otherwise be necessary toproduce a clean unmutilating cut,.in the use of a cutter'having'a fixedposition of service. Furthermore, the cutter operating inan upwarddirection, the belt conveyer is saved fromany mutilation or injury whichwould be.-likely to occur upon the down stroke of any cutter acting uponthe stock, and particularly were any cutter. element employed other thanthe wire or cord or the like 23, which latter, in accordance with theinvention, is at all times isolated from the conveyer by the relativelybroad cutter body 19. The use of such a cutter permits of speedy andcontinuous operation of the machine or apparatus, together with accurateseverance of the units from the advanced stock, and the subsequentdisposition of such units as may be desired. i

In accordance with the invention of the patent and applicationhereinabove' referred to, the severance of the units and the stacking ofthe same rapidly in succession is a particular advantage, the paper ofthe sheets corresponding to the sheets 6 and 8 being so composed as toretard permeation of the same by moisture, thus permitting the sheets tobe drawn or slid one over the other into stacked relation, afterseverance from the stock. \Vere the paper not so organized, the unitswould become superficially moist and stick together and prevent suchsliding action, so that such a cutter is particularly advantageous inuse in accordance with the invention of said application and patent. Butwe do not wish to be understood as in any sense acquiescing in alimiting or confining of the present invention to applicability to theinventions of said other application and of said patent, the inventionbeing likewise susceptible to many changes in provision, construction,formation, combination, association and relative arrangement of parts,members and features, in adapting the present invention to varyingconditions of use and service, and within a fair interpretation of theinvention.

Having thus-disclosed our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a moving conveyer, and acutter adapted to be applied to the conveyer dur ing the movementthereof and to move with the conveyer during cutting action uponmaterial advanced by the conveyer.

In apparatus of the character disclosed, a moving conveyer, and a cutteradapted to be applied to the conveyer during the movement thereof and tomove with the conveyer during cutting action upon material advanced bythe conveyer; said cutter being operated in the cutting action in adirection away from the conveyer surface.

3. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a moving conveyer, and acutter adapted to be passed between the conveyer and material thereonwhereby the cutter may be operated in the cutting action during themovement of the conveyer and in a direction away from the surface of theconveyer.

l. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a moving conveyer, and acutter adapted to be passed between the conveyer and material thereonwhereby the cutter may be operated in the cutting action during themovement of the conveyer and in a direction away from the surface of thecon- &

veyer; said cutter comprising a body and a flexible cutting elementconnected at one end with the body.

5. In apparatus of the character disclosed, a moving conveyer, and acutter adapted to be passed between the conveyer and material thereonwhereby the cutter may be operated in the cutting action during themovement of the conveyer and in a direction away from the surface of theconveyer; said cutter comprising a body and a flexible cutting elementconnected at one end with the body, said body and said cutting elementbeing provided with handles for joint insertion between the material andthe conveyor and for relative movement in the cutting action.

6. In apparatus of the character dis-' closed, a moving conveyer, and acutter adapted to be passed between the conveyer and material thereonwhereby the cutter may be operated in the cutting action during themovement of the conveyer and in a direction away from the surface of theconveyer; said cutter comprising a body and a flexible cutting elementconnected at one end with the body, said body and said cutting elementbeing provided with handles for joint insertion between the material andthe conveyer and for relative movement in the cutting action and saidcutter being elongated and provided with a reduced end portion at whichsaid cutting element is con nected with the body.

7. A cutter for use with apparatus of the character disclosed,comprising an elongated body-and a flexible cutting element connected atone end only adjacent to one end of said body- S. A cutter for use withapparatus of the character disclosed, comprising an clongatcd body and aflexible cut-ting element connected at one end adjacent to one end ofsaid body, said body and said cutting element being provided withhandles.

9. A cutter for use with apparatus of the character disclosed,comprising an elongated body and a flexible cutting element connected atone end adjacent to one end of said body, said body and said cuttingelement being provided with handles and said body being provided with areduced end portion at which said cutting element is connected with thebody. 1

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SCHUMAGHER. JOSEPH E. SCHUMACHER.

Witnesses ALrnno II. DAEHLER, FRANCIS L. Isuuiou.

